This invention relates to orthodontic appliances and, more particularly, to a removable orthodontic appliance that can be periodically adjusted by the wearer.
Permanent or fixed appliances, such as braces, have long been used, especially with children, to correct dental abnormalities such as misalignment or crowding of teeth. Such appliances, although being excellent for controlling the direction of growth and spacing of teeth, have not been adapted for remedying malocclusions, such as overbite and overjet. Also, fixed appliances have proven to be a costly method for correction of dental abnormalities, and have been relatively unpopular with patients, due to adverse cosmetic and other characteristics.
More recently, removable appliances, with headgear apparatus, have been developed to remedy specific dental problems. One such construction, designed specifically to remedy the open mandibular posture, uses a thermoplastic horseshoe-shaped device which is inserted into the patient's mouth and attached to headgear for exerting an upward or vertical pull. Such constructions, with their highly visible headgear straps, have remained unpopular with patients. Additionally, they have only been adapted for use in limited problem areas, such as to remedy vertical abnormalities.
Another type of removable acrylic appliance, represented for example by the open end activator appliances, uses an acrylic body and labial and palatal wires to achieve correction of a wide variety of malocclusions. Despite their widespread use, and their applicability to numerous dental abnormalities, they have not been fully adequate in specific malocclusion cases, especially in overbite/overjet malocclusions, primarily because of their heavy weight and requirement for acrylic and other adjustments during their period of use. There has not been available a lightweight removable appliance which can be adjusted by the wearer, and which specifically corrects overbite/overjet and open bite problems.